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Deborah I think the game of Pachinko represented life for the Koreans in Japan. There was always the hope that they would have good luck--but, as with the pac…moreI think the game of Pachinko represented life for the Koreans in Japan. There was always the hope that they would have good luck--but, as with the pachinko machines in the novel, someone was always making little adjustments to make sure that they never won. (less)

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Maggie Lynne This felt particularly fucked up to me as basically THE ONLY THING we know about his wife is that her family was destroyed when her father committed s…moreThis felt particularly fucked up to me as basically THE ONLY THING we know about his wife is that her family was destroyed when her father committed suicide.(less)

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What is the connection between the entire novel and pachinko?

Priyamvada Because somehow the game of Pachinko and the story of Sunja are correlated. The idea may not occur while reading the book, but once you have finished …moreBecause somehow the game of Pachinko and the story of Sunja are correlated. The idea may not occur while reading the book, but once you have finished it, you'd realise how similar the blueprint of Sunja's life had been to that of the game. Now, Pachinko, as a rule, is not entirely a game of chance - it requires technique and observation (Ofc, that matters only when you've got some luck in your pocket). Sunja's trysts with Hansu were a result of her chance encounter with the bullys. Osaka had been a dream to her, which eventually became the birthplace of her nightmares. Her survival during the war, the changes in the life of her sons, and her relations could all be attributed to chance, yet not entirely - exactly like Pachinko.
Moreover, as a game banned during the world war II, Pachinko thrived and flourished in Japan after it's nadir. But it was largely associated to the rise of Yakuza or Japanese mafia. Since the game was never considered equivalent to gambling, the parlors became a mecca for criminal activities, prostitution and unpaid taxes. All in all, it could hardly be considered a decent job during the time. However, it could put more than food on people's palates, and was the only field where the Koreans could associate with the Japanese on an equal footing. Undoubtedly, such parlors became a haven for the war-torn Koreans, who had lost seemingly everything. And as long as one had riches, what did it matter if the job weren't decent? But the then Japan held many prejudices against those parlors and the Koreans. Lee has brought out the fact that all of them weren't bees of the same hive sticking to criminal activities. Had it not been for Pachinko, Sunja's sons would have never survived. Even the righteous Noa was compelled to take it up as his means of livelihood. And as the author has related, "history had failed them" so they had to detach themselves from history's favoritisms. In the end, Sunja and the people related to her couldn't be called fortunate though they did turn out to be so more than most of the Koreans. What do you call such a life with huge losses that can neither outshine your gains nor underwhelm their importance? Gambling. Perhaps, Pachinko.
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Phoebe Yoseb, on the other hand, deeply angered me throughout the book: the way he controlled his wife, the way he fought with and forbid the women from impr…moreYoseb, on the other hand, deeply angered me throughout the book: the way he controlled his wife, the way he fought with and forbid the women from improving their own destinies. I realize he's meant to be "of his time," but when he wasn't being condescending and stubborn, he was just a straight-up burden on the family. I wonder if this idea of villainy, and who is really hurting versus helping the family, is meant to be complicated by Yoseb's character. (less)

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Pam Noa examplified being a law abiding, good guy who wanted to live up and surpass his father's legacy as a Good Korean.

To do so he was taught that a Go…moreNoa examplified being a law abiding, good guy who wanted to live up and surpass his father's legacy as a Good Korean.

To do so he was taught that a Good Korean wasn't allowed to cheat or shirk his duties. This is exemplified when as a child he was unable to skip school for any reason, even his own father's death. This guidance was then seconded by Hansu when he said that he was behind in his studies and needed to study so that he could be a Good Korean. He had to make something of himself, he had to prove to every racist; every person who had a grudge, that he was a decent Korean.

And for a long time he prided himself on believeing he was succeeeding. He believed that hard work, talent, and a large amount of luck was making a difference.

Then he discovered not only was his girlfriend with him because she pitied him and treated him as her own personal vendetta against her parents, but then that he wasn't the son of a martyr. Worse, he was the son of a stinking collborator. This is akin to thinking you were son of God only to find out that you were the son of the Devil instead.

To him, this meant that no matter how hard he worked, no matter how hard he strove he was still never going to be a Good Korean.

So when he left; he rejected the idea of ever becoming a Good Korean. He rejected the idea that such a unicorn could ever exists. So as he "fell from grace"; he rejected his countryman taking on the Japanese culture; he rejected his stance on pachinko - thinking he was already dirty might as well become dirtier; and he rejected love. He essentially, became Hansu's son; who lived, worked, and bred with Japanese.

So when Sunja comes to see him; he said it was a relief. He finally didn't have to hide, no longer had to pretend to be something he wasn't. And that's the crux. He could no longer be the Good Korean, but a part of him also could no longer be Hansu's son, too. He couldn't be either.

So why did he keep visiting the grave? I'm not sure.
- does this mean he was trying to reconcile his life with the one person he respected the most?
- Was he trying so desperately to understand what his father would do in this situation?
- Was he having a more Biblical moment with his father?

I think Lee left it open for us to decide ourselves(less)

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